Back to the Basics

I think that in every marriage people tend to lose track of the importance of intimacy. We become so comfortable with our spouse that we find intimacy in other ways or places.

Friendships are so extremely important, but when we confide in our friends more than our husbands we are truly doing our marriages a huge disservice. With the realization of how easy and fast a marriage can breakdown we need to be ever more vigilant in feeding our spouses with the love, kindness and compassion that should exist in every eternal marriage. I am the last one to preach on marriage as I will be the first to admit that we have seen our share of rough and trying times, but that is what makes me willing to admit and step up to the plate and share some of my experiences with others.

We have taken our family back to the basics. We have always eaten our meals at the dinner table. This was so important to me as I started my own family, because it wasn't what I did growing up and I envied my friends who's parents did this. We have made a new rules at our home.

1. The dinner table is a safe place where we only talk about how our day has been. I am getting a better understanding of how my children really are doing with school and friends and it has given them an outlet to vent and not feel judged.

2. We are doing Family Home Evening and family prayer faithfully. It has become such a routine that our children actually look forward to this time and let us know with DEEP disappointment when try and be lazy and get out of doing it. They keep us in check and make sure this is done.

3. We make time for each other every night even if it is only for 20 minutes to reconnect. It can be as easy and holding hands and watching T.V. or talking about our day or the coming days.

I have to say that these little changes have made the biggest impact on our family in a positive way. We still have a long way to go and I will say that I still make my fair share of mistakes in being a wife and mother, but I am human and I allow myself to know that I am far from perfect and far from ever being perfect... It is so liberating to admit those things!

The Philosophy of Liz

They say that life happens, I happen to agree. Our society is a funny make-up of happy, giving, kind, loyal, crazy, confused and at times self-righteous souls all trying to get along. We all think that we have the best ideas and are so quick to offer advise to others instead of listening and walking a mile in their paths. How we deal with each other, show each other compassion and love is what I believe defines us all as people. We all make mistakes, we all fall down, we all face humiliation to some degree and it is how we deal with it that defines our character. Do we learn from our mistakes and move on or do we fall in a rut and make the same mistakes over and over and dig ourselves deeper and deeper? I will admit that I have fallen, many times in fact and I have broken and hopes and dreams for others by my selfish actions. It's time that we stop criticizing, chastising and loathing others in this world. We are all human and were told to love one another, not tear one another apart. I have always accepted my faults, apologized to those I have hurt and moved on... This life is TOO short to live in the past or live in pain by blaming others for what we are not willing to work on in ourselves to become better people.